fellmemes | Test Drive #4

Entry tags:

! test drive

Test Drive #4

Welcome to the January test drive! We're so excited to have you with us!

A few things of note:

✦ Test drive threads can be considered game-canon if you choose. They're essentially in a shared dreamscape and take place between your character leaving their world and arriving in the audience hall with their faction leader.
✦ Reserves will open at 12:01 AM UTC on February 1st, and continue to be until 11:59 PM UTC on February 7th. This is to reserve a character, not an application slot.
✦ Applications will open at 12:01 AM UTC on the 8th, and remain open until 11:59 PM UTC on the 15th, or until all application slots have been filled. Once Activity Check ends, we will have an application slot number available on the application page. The IC & OOC intro logs will be posted two days later.
✦ We have added a Suitability section to the application. Check it out! We will be requiring this going forward as it not only helps players see if their character is a good fit for the game but it lets the mod team gather some ideas about direction for your character!
✦ Questions? We have a FAQ that's chock full of good information! If they are test drive specific, we have a top level thread below that allows for OOC questions to be posted.
✦ The network is available to use! No matter where your character is, their compass arrived on their person. Please feel free to include a network post in your top-levels! Once opened, the compass will display instructions on use, such as using voice-commands to activate it. Usernames are your characters first name or their most common nickname.
✦ Below will be a header for OOC questions as well as a request for Death or its Attendants if you risk placing a coin in their offering bowl.
✦ As in December, a secondary blessing will be available in February to those that tag others on the TDM!

All set? Perfect! Welcome to Fellden.

AS THE MOON RISES.
You’ll find yourself just outside the Temple gates, which will be locked if you try to open them. A little rude, keeping you out after bringing you all this way, and the more you try to look up at the Temple structure the more insistent guards become in pushing you down the pathway to somewhere else. The thing is, you can hear a lot of commotion in the distance, and smoke rising from the center of a district; you may want to check that out. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire!

Except the smoke is not at all something to be concerned over. Instead, people are gathered near a large bonfire in the decorated city square, drinking and carousing, singing songs of celebration; Moon saviors have arrived! War winners! The residents of the city laugh and sing and dance in pairs throughout the square, grateful for those who have come to aid them. Their merriment doesn’t dwindle as the sun begins to set on the horizon, twin moons rising in its place.

When you (and other new arrivals) are finally noticed by the revelers, do not expect to be left alone! Chrysanthemums will be offered as brooches or corsages, food and drink placed into your hands, while live musicians play loud enough for the dead to hear — for this is a celebration dedicated to them. Several were lost in the battle held the previous weeks, and the Priestess has decreed a time of mourning through revelry. Spirits must be kept up, even in these dark times. You’ll be invited to dance, to drinking games, and offered food and flowers and other items of value. Some may cry when they look into your face, thanking you for becoming their champions during this long and exhaustive war.

Hopefully you’re here to enjoy the festivities despite the pall that may hang over the town. Sneaking off is just fine, too, but don’t expect to be let go of quietly; the people of the Moon Temple are so happy to see you! Enjoy the celebration while it lasts long into the night. If you do manage to leave, a helpful citizen of the Temple will inform you of the nearby transport mirrors that will take you anywhere on the map, one of which they will provide to you.

THE SETTING STARS.
You'll find upon your arrival that the castle is not accepting visitors as they prepare the interior for a solemn remembrance of those lost. Guards at the door will instead direct you to the center of the city where most of Starfolk have gathered to say their goodbyes and reminisce of memories past.

Venturing there, you'll be greeted either by those who are serving food and drink from nearby taverns, or those with drawn faces tired from battle. Or perhaps you're a late arrival and the worst of the exhaustion has left the city, now imbued with laughter and happier memories! Those loyal to the Court of Stars greet the newcomers with guarded gratitude in their eyes and wary hesitance. How many more of these Otherworlders will betray them, they wonder out loud. If you try and take a seat with a party or three, chances are the conversation will halt as soon as you grow near, and the longer you stay the more uncomfortable the gathered people become.

Trust is not easily gained in the Court of Stars; broken now as it is, the natives of this world fear the worst for their Emperor. Will you help us, or will you hurt us, they ask, wanting to believe they still have a chance at surviving this exhaustive war.

Whether you choose to remain for the remembrance or wander off, one thing is certain: things must turn around for the Stars soon. If you do manage to sneak off, a hopeful citizen of the Court will inform you of the nearby transport mirrors that will take you anywhere on the map, one of which they will provide to you.

MARKETS OF THE COAST.
The coastal city of Kyst is abuzz with an extra amount of people who sought refuge here during the attack on the Moon Temple. Some calm had finally started to settle but now the foundation has once more been shaken. Newcomers will be welcomed with smiling faces from merchants as they look to try to sell their wares. Tavern owners and barkeeps will beckon with the promise of warm food and delightful drinks, a place by the fire, and information to help you find your bearings. The air is rife with the scent of the coastline, fishermen bringing in their haul from the day. Perhaps if you pay enough attention, you'll hear or smell something you recognize from your home; as Fellden is the beginning of all worlds, it wouldn't be an impossible likelihood!

Those looking for something more exciting will find closer to the northern border of Kyst a rather curious bi-pedal cat bouncing on its back legs. It flags you down with a wave of its paw, asking excitedly if you'd like to flex your claws into a juicy quest. You're just the hunter for the job! Purr-fect in every way! Out in the wild lands there's a great beast in a deep river, and it's bothering all the people who live in the nearby town! They can't get fresh water or fish for their meals; it's furr-ightening! If you agree to help, the cat will explain that the creature is a Nokken that has been luring many a brave fisher to their untimely death. It must be removed either by force or by convincing it to leave! Help them, Hero-wan Kenobi, you're their meownly hope!

BEYOND THE CITIES.
In the distance from Kyst, a large forest looms, the Gods Wood imposing even from this distance. Should you travel there, everyone you encounter will urge you to be respectful while within the forest. There, people can be found visiting intricately decorated shrines, and leaving offerings for their passed. If you catch their eye, they will beg of you to pay respects as well, and press a gold coin into your palm. Offer a wish or a happy memory to who you miss and place the coin into Death's offering bowl and there's a chance someone will be there to speak with you. Be mindful of your actions though; those that show disrespect will be forcibly removed from the Gods Wood by the trees.

If the forest is too intimidating, Terebellum is open for semester registration, and the grounds are even more regal with a light dusting of snow all around. Students of all branches of magic can be found exploring the campus and practicing their craft. If you're lucky, perhaps you can find a teacher who will explain what is offered here at the University. But ah, there's a catch! Tuition is extremely expensive, so you must impress your faction leaders if you wish to widen your breadth of knowledge within these walls!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

⟪ she tilts her head as he proceeds to explain – and realises that this confusion is the work of language more than it is anything else. it's an oddly comforting thought, if only for its familiarity. she is used to being a foreigner, used to needing to repeat herself to make her point understood. ⟫

Yes and no. There are types of spirits in my world. ⟪ not everything residing in asshai is human, that is, and not everything is shadow. ⟫ Among those are shadows, who can be controlled.

⟪ and made. ⟫

It may not be permanent. She could always banish you. [ Which happened recently in the Stars Court. ] You can acquire many markings here, Fellden marks its vows and sleights on your body.

[ It seems fairly normal and obvious to V. He's too bundled up for her to see, but his entire torso is covered with the markings of his pacts. But he had those before he came. ]

I have attended one of the Priestess's audiences, but I haven't spoken to her personally. I've been warned you should watch what you say if you choose to speak to her there.

[ And he has nothing to say to her. He doesn't want her attention on him as he works. ]

[ He glances at her, eyebrows raised slightly. She is not the first person he's met who has expressed a dislike for the fae, but none as vehemently as that. ]

What is your vendetta with the faeries?

No need.

⟪ that this woman knows now is melisandre's own thought, but that does not mean she wants to risk involving more with this particular piece of knowledge. the fewer can tell what is magic and what is alchemy, the better. ⟫

At least not once I have the supplies I need.

⟪ and then, or so her tone suggests, she would be willing to trade. ⟫

[ This interaction is oddly soothing to Anna. Subtle, shady business under the cover of a talking crowd. There's little she finds soothing, but apparently this little touch of human exchange is the thing. ]

As you like.

[ She doesn't quite bow, but she tucks an arm in at her waist and inclines her head forward, a suggestion of the gesture. ]

I am a Hunter claimed to the Court of Stars.

[ This is the introduction she chooses, rather than her name. She is a Hunter long before she is Anna. ]

[ Jasper just stares at her. ]

Why??

I am a Priestess of the Lord of Light.

⟪ is it wise to put this first? likely not, but it is not about the wisdom in it. it is about the truth. she is naught but a vessel. ⟫

And claimed by the Moon Temple.

⟪ and if that is what she must be, to win this war, safe this world, return to her own? then so be it. ⟫

I am called Melisandre.

[ Anna has a strong distaste for religious orders. Nothing really changes on her face, but she is grim and filled with hatred. ]

I will remember you, Melisandre.

[ And that might not necessarily be a positive statement. ]

[ Tony had always had this way of looking at her; like she'd personally hung the stars and the moon to the sky. He's looking at her with that same sense of wonderment now, and Pepper lowers her gaze down to the soft weight of the cloak she's clutching in her arms, quietly bashful over it in spite of herself. The news of two years -- or rather, one year and however many months -- separating them fails to leave her alone, uncertain how to navigate this elusive but present strangeness between them. Ylva's words have her biting her lip, not feeling much less like a fraud over them as she takes a seat, the cloak bundled on her lap. Lady Potts. Finally sliding her gaze back to meet Tony's, it's apparently nothing to fuss over. She hasn't done anything yet for anybody, but Tony... that's another thing entirely. What must he have gone through here, so far? ]

Thanks, [ she says quietly at his compliment, smiling a little wanly. The odd distance between them lifts its head again even though he's right there next to her. It's not exactly awkwardness, but something close to it. You look weary, she wants to respond, her gaze tracking his familiar features, but swallows the words back just before they escape. They're still not exactly alone, after all. The fireplace hums softly behind them, and she gropes for something to say. ]

They'll, um-- deliver the rest. The clothes.

I trust you will.

⟪ she does not take it as a threat, nor can she necessarily guess what, precisely, anna feels. but she has had more than one attempt on her life, and she knows enthusiasm sounds different.

and they are on opposite sides of this war. that is where she believes the hesitation stems from. ⟫

What is it?

[ She tilts her head slightly. ]

We are foes.

[ The Hunters. The Scholars. The Church. All foes, grappling with one another for supremacy and absolution for all the crimes they have committed on behalf of one another. ]

And I understand how the world is more complex than that.

[ Some of the people she's spoken to think she is a mindless dog. Only sometimes. There are other moments where she can think. She is an independent creature, despite how she longs for the shelter of acceptance. She is at odds with herself, always. ]

But if you are my quarry I will hunt you.

Oh? Good. Most of it should be there by tomorrow.

( Gosh, why don't you start talking about the weather next, he scolds himself, exasperated, and reaches for those new boots.

Tony wouldn't be Tony if he didn't take a knee before her, patting his offered leg with a small, cheeky grin. )

C'mon, foot up, Cinderella. I want to show you the place and we can't have your toes freezing on the way there.

⟪ she offers a slight nod, red curls falling forward. ⟫

This seems fair.

⟪ r'hllor knows it is beyond understandable. she would have said much of the same to plenty of people, had she not had the benefit of her visions. ⟫

I mean you no harm until you do.

[ Peridot sags with a groan. ]

I know... It's just. Fighting you isn't what I thought I'd be signing up for when I agreed to save the world. You know?

[ Not that they're literally fighting one another, but. They are on opposite sides of this thing. ]

[ Mhmm, Pepper hums in agreement, just as painfully aware of how mundane a topic this is, how unlike them. She feels acutely how out of her depth she really is just then, juggling too many new threads of information even for her. She's never been more grateful of Tony's innate inability to go too long without some manner of Tonyism, case in point, when he takes a knee in front of her and grins.

Just like that the odd awkwardness is gone (for now), Pepper giving him that selfsame dryly amused look she always does, regardless lifting a newly stocking-clad foot on his leg. She's still pretty convinced that's no longer a danger she has to worry about, but she's not bringing that up now. She does want proper footwear, after all. ]

Does that make you Prince Charming, then?

A burden I'm willing to bear,

( he tells her, with the sly waggle of his brows to really cement his ridiculousness. Taking her foot, permitting himself a worshipful second to stroke his fingers up the back of her heel, he guides it into that first boot, buckling the strap taut at the base of the shaft. The second follows, easy as you please, though if the hand on her foot slides a little farther up her calf, well...

As they're more or less still in public, he'll go no further, offering Pepper a hand up once he bounces to his feet. Let him help her into her cloak too, maybe?

Things will be fine. Maybe not right now, but they will be. )

Edited 2020-02-01 22:43 (UTC)

[ Pepper leans in a little to see past the small rack of colorful scarves on the counter of the booth of feminine baubles and accoutrements she had been eyeing herself, obscuring the fact that the stall to the immediate left is... offering knives and daggers. Well. Suppose there's some interesting logic to that pairing. ]

Oh.

[ So he's not probably looking for a gift for his sweetheart, then... you know, hopefully? ]

I don't think I can help you out, in that case. You're a weaponsmith, then? [ Her polite smile warms when she notices the dog. ] And who's this handsome fellow?

[Would Thor be surprised if Loki had fought his embrace? If he'd chosen offense and upset and insisted on clawing back the distance that had grown so heavily between them? No, he wouldn't. Thor doesn't need to understand the reasons why bold displays of emotion only seem to see Loki feeling more and more uneasy as time goes on to have long since accepted that the affection he would gladly shower upon his brother might always remain unwelcome.

But that Loki doesn't immediately pull away? That he doesn't disappear out from under the desperate cage of Thor's arms but instead settles his own around Thor in-- resignation? Acceptance? He's not sure it matters when it's already more than he thought he'd ever be allowed again and Thor's hold around Loki tightens just a fraction more for it.]

I've missed you.

[He says as if it explains everything and he tries to laugh-- at how foolish he must look, at the bite of Loki's words and the undercurrent of blame his brother always finds a way to angle in Thor's direction whether it's deserved or not, at his own near childish hopefulness that this could truly be real-- but the sound gets lost along the way, caught in his throat until it breaks out of him far closer to a sob than he ever intended.

Loki's right no matter how Thor wishes he wasn't. It was cold of Thor to refuse him then. Possibly even cruel, and while at the time Thor felt his reasons to do so made sense, that he had little choice to do anything else, it's impossible to look back that time now without feeling regret in the places where vindication once lived. How much time had they wasted holding onto anger? To spite and pettiness? How many moments have they missed because they allowed their brotherhood to be strained by things that mattered so little in the end?

Too many, he thinks, and Thor knows he should let go of Loki before his brother's patience runs out, but he can't quite bring himself to loosen his grip. Loki is a warm, solid weight against him, pressed so closely together that Thor could count each breath he takes if he wanted to, and it's hard to ignore the irrational voice in the back of his mind certain that if he ends this embrace he'll wake from whatever dream he's found himself in. When he can finally manage it, it happens in achingly slow degrees, his arms reluctantly relaxing as though Thor is in battle with himself over whether or not to actually allow it to happen, and even when he releases Loki completely he can't seem to resist the urge to touch him. Thor reaches out to clasp Loki's shoulder with a grip that likely tips just over the line of too tight for all that it's full of warm affection and swallows past the thick lump in his throat as he takes Loki in.]

You look well.

Oh, please.

[ The dry retort is accompanied with a roll of her eyes; a Pepperism, if ever there was one. If her mouth goes a little dry at his touch, through the stocking as though it may be, she'll ignore that for now. She lets Tony indulge his gentlemanly side with helping her up and into the beautiful, warm cloak, the pair wrapping up their business with the tailors without further ado. Ylva hands Pepper a small, soft bundle wrapped in protective packaging before they go, and she tucks it under her arm beneath the cloak while Tony dons his own gear.

Back outside, they spend a good few minutes bickering; Tony insisting she wear his gloves on the ride to his place and Pepper arguing he needs them more. Eventually Pepper caves, exasperated, knowing they'll stand there for the rest of the day otherwise. Finally back in the saddle and on their way at a steady pace, Pepper takes in the city in silence for a while, one arm firmly around Tony's waist. It's like something out of a fantasy novel, and she can't help but wonder... ]

Was it hard, getting used to this place? We're not exactly in Kansas anymore, Toto.

[ Or modern af smarthouses, whatever. ]

That's putting it mildly.

Hm. New thoughts and innovations to break the stalemate. Well, it's not the worst idea. I'm surprised it took so long, though. But how's it worked out in practice, in your opinion? If you don't mind my nosiness.

[ zero why are you running

WHY ARE YOU RUNNING

Her wires detach from Lloyd's body. It might be fast if she charges after Zero herself, rather than get into full melee range. She darts towards the forest, after the woman.

Again, she sends forward wires from her fingertips. They extend, aiming to wrap themselves around Zero's ankles. ]

[ Oh boy. Sometimes she really hates being right. Only sometimes, but now is definitely one of those times. ]

Pepper Potts.

[ She affords Loki with that same fake smile she reserves for difficult journalists and old sexists with more money than common sense, kindness and apparent appeasement hiding steel and guile. She may not have Loki's extensive years in lies and subterfuge under her belt, but she's certainly built up enough smokescreens of her own during her decade as Tony's assistant. ]

Just Pepper will do.

[ Now she has to make a decision on whether or not to betray the fact that she absolutely knows who he is and what he's done. Could she feign ignorance in order to see if she could use this to her advantage somehow? Long cons aren't really something she usually bothers with, even if she's no stranger to them. The corporate world she lives and breathes back home could be just as cutthroat as war-torn fantasy realms. While she considers the pros and cons, Pepper goes on perfectly pleasantly, ]

So, what brings you to the markets today, Loki? Out for something in specific?

...a little, ( he admits, as they take this slightly more scenic route. ) I didn't really give myself a whole lot of time to adjust at the beginning, I just. Leapt right in and started swimming.

( At this end of the city, the damage from the invasion is minimal, easily overlooked if you're not searching for it. Citizens here are still on edge, and there aren't as many out as he usually sees, so many still left at the Keep. Others, well... their entire lives are here, and as soon as Star retreated, they were back. )

Everything runs on magic here, from Fellden itself and the faction leaders. ( Tony points to a street lamp with cold-reddened fingers, ) Electricity, hot, running water, all of it. The suit I came in was somehow transitioned to running on magic-

( Hang on, while he balls his fingers into a fist, blowing warm air against them, ) -though I couldn't begin to tell you how. It just is, now.

We're here, ( Tony announces, dismounting at the gate of a small, mostly snowy back garden, behind a larger workshop and the apartment above it. There's nothing too remarkable to see about the place from the outside, maybe a hint of Tudor-styling to fit in with the rest of the neighborhood, and the stable out back is just big enough for the horse and a small tack room. Once Pepper is down, he leads her to the door, where he fumbles just a moment with keys (nothing hands free here, not yet) and lets her in after him, past the minute hum of wards.

Ahead, a flight of stairs does a quick switchback up to the living spaces above, while a few steps down to their left will take them into the workshop proper, lit by the huge skylight over the main workbenches. It looks mostly similar to his setups at home, though a little more low tech in spots: there's very clearly a forge across the room and blacksmithing tools, juxtaposed by what looks like sections of circuit boards complete with LEDs on a workbench nearby, framed by hand-drafted plans that are definitely all Tony's.

As he closes the door behind them, the overhead lights wink on, in long beams reminiscent of fluorescent lights. )

It's colder down here, when the fires aren't going. I'm usually up in Medii during the week; honestly, Pep, it's a small miracle I found you...

[If Bucky had a sweetheart, he would absolutely buy them knives, let’s be real. Anyway, he shrugs.]

Yeah, kinda. I’m still learning.

[He smiles a little at the mention of the dog and squats down next to him, stroking his back as the dog dutifully sits next to him, mouth open in a doggish grin.]

This is Brooklyn. He just kind of showed up a little while ago, but he’s been helping me out so I don’t mind.

[Truthfully he’s pretty enamored with the dog, if the expression he has looking at him is anything to go by.]

You can pet him, if you want.

[ A bitter smile tugs at the edge of her mouth tiredly. So many people have done her harm, that reassurance is all but meaningless. She is only confident enough in her abilities that she can fend off most with pure violence. ]

You're sensible, Melisandre.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 33 of 53

Test Drive #4

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject